Bouncy ball

ABSTRACT

A bouncing ball with internal lights that are electronically controlled to produce patterns of illumination.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority to Provisional Application for U.S. Patent No. 61/846,619 filed on Jul. 16, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of bouncing balls. More particularly, the present invention is related to a ball that allows for the creation of illumination while said ball is in use.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Bouncing balls have been around for many years, and are usually produced for a specific sport or activity. While developments have been made in the materials used to create the basic ball, the ball is still a passive three-dimensional object.

The present invention is a ball that contains internal lights, which are electronically controlled, and an internal power source. Additionally, the present invention has transparent or translucent sections on the surface of the ball so that the illumination produced by the internal lights can be seen from the outer surface of the ball. Such lighting can enhance playing with a ball and the activities associated therewith by adding a dimension of lighting.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention is a ball that can bounce, with the addition of internal electronics that control lights that can be seen by those playing with the ball. Internally, the ball contains at least one LED light, at least one battery, at least one switch and/or at least one sensor, and circuitry to control the LED light. The ball can be the size of a baseball or softball, but is not limited to any size. The ball is made of a transparent and/or translucent flexible exterior material permitting the transmission of light. There are switches and/or sensors used as inputs to the electronics, and these permit the motion of bouncing to be sensed. When the ball is bounced, the electronics can remain on for a minimum period of time, but if no motion is sensed for a period of time, the electronics can power down or enter a sleep mode to conserve battery life. There can be an on/off switch to turn on the electronics, but the electronics can also be triggered out of sleep mode and to go on when the ball is bounced. The electronics can control the lighting of the LEDs in at least one sequence, though several sequences are anticipated to make the ball interesting and exciting to play with. Upon wake up or activation, a lighting sequence can be initiated. The lighting sequence can be repetitive and/or random and/or a combination of either. The time between one LED lighting and the next LED lighting can be constant or variable. The sequence and/or the timing can be determined by time between ball bounces. LED lighting can incorporate a dimming function within the lighting sequence.

The ball can also sense acoustic energy and/or audio from the environment and generate a signal which can be used to control the lighting sequence and timing. For instance, the signal frequency and/or amplitude and/or a combination thereof can control or affect the pattern and or intensity of LED lighting. There can also be a connector and/or jack for connecting to an audio source and/or power. The ball can be connected to a cell phone and/or smart device and/or computer. This can enable a wide range of interaction including but not limited to custom color and/or pattern identification of calls, e-mails, texts, and/or other origin-specific electronic communications. There can also be incorporated within a communication device that can transmit and or receive data and or signals in a master-slave fashion via RF and/or IR and/or other methods, and these signals can control a lighting sequence and/or pattern. There can be a battery compartment and battery compartment door that does not interfere with the bouncing function.

The present invention is a ball that can comprise at least one of the following: at least one LED light; at least one battery; at least one switch and/or at least one sensor; and/or circuitry to control at least one LED light. The ball can further comprise at least one of the following: at least one transparent, translucent and/or flexible exterior material that permits the transmission of light, at least one sound device, at least one audio device, and/or at least one vibration device where such at least one sound device, at least one audio device, and/or at least one vibration device can be sequenced, initiated, operated, run, synched, activated, and/or deactivated. Said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor and/or at least one connector can be at least one of sensed by, connected to, activated by, deactivated by, and/or controlled by electronics. Said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor can be activated by at least one of motion, acceleration and/or impact. Said motion, acceleration and/or impact can result from the bouncing of the ball. Said motion, acceleration and/or impact, and/or said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor output can cause electronics to either remain active for a minimum period of time, and/or enter a low current sleep mode to conserve battery energy if said electronics are not active for a minimum period of time. Said motion, acceleration and/or impact, and/or said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor output can initiate the waking up of electronics from a low current sleep mode. The ball can further comprise electronics that are able to control the lighting of said at least one LED light in at least one lighting sequence. The activation of said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor can initiate, activate, deactivate, control, operate, and/or run at least one lighting sequence. The lighting of the at least one lighting sequence can be at least one of repetitive or random. The lighting of the at least one lighting sequence can be determined by time between ball bounces, can incorporate a constant time interval, and/or can incorporate variable time intervals. Said variable time intervals can be determined by the time intervals between bounces of the ball. Said lighting, circuitry and/or electronics can incorporate a dimming function as part of said at least one lighting sequence. Said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor can sense sound, vibration, acoustic energy and/or audio from the environment and can convert such sound, vibration, acoustic energy and/or audio into a signal. Said signal can be resolved into frequency, amplitude and/or a combination thereof. Said frequency, amplitude and/or a combination thereof can control or affect the pattern and/or intensity of the LED lighting. Said at least one connector may be a connector and/or jack for connecting the ball to an audio, power and/or other source. The ball may further comprise a conductive connector or jack for connecting the ball to a mobile device, smart device, computer and/or other device or signal source. The ball may further comprise at least one of custom color and/or pattern identification for calls, e-mails, texts, and/or other origin-specific electronic communications, and/or at least one communication device that can transmit and/or receive data and/or signals in a master-slave fashion via radio frequency, infrared, and/or other communication methods. The ball may further comprise a battery compartment and a battery compartment door that does not interfere with the bouncing function of the ball.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention should not be limited to the described preferred embodiments. Rather, various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows diagram of a motion-sensing switch, which is attached to PCB, and located within the housing of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the basic ball 1, and a housing 4, which acts as a surface upon which the LEDs 2 (sampling shown) are contained. The ball 1 has a transparent or translucent surface 3 through which the LEDs 2 can be seen by users.

FIG. 2 shows a typical motion-sensing switch 6, which is attached to a printed circuit board 5, and located within the housing 4. 

1. A ball comprising at least one of the following: at least one LED light; at least one battery; at least one switch and/or at least one sensor; and/or circuitry to control at least one LED light.
 2. The ball of claim 1 further comprising at least one of the following: at least one transparent, translucent and/or flexible exterior material that permits the transmission of light, at least one sound device, at least one audio device, and/or at least one vibration device where such at least one sound device, at least one audio device, and/or at least one vibration device can be sequenced, initiated, operated, run, synched, activated, and/or deactivated.
 3. The ball of claim 1 whereby said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor and/or at least one connector can be at least one of sensed by, connected to, activated by, deactivated by, and/or controlled by electronics.
 4. The ball of claim 3 whereby said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor can be activated by at least one of motion, acceleration and/or impact.
 5. The ball of claim 4 whereby said motion, acceleration and/or impact can result from the bouncing of the ball.
 6. The ball of claim 5 whereby said motion, acceleration and/or impact, and/or said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor output can cause electronics to either remain active for a minimum period of time, and/or enter a low current sleep mode to conserve battery energy if said electronics are not active for a minimum period of time.
 7. The ball of claim 6 whereby said motion, acceleration and/or impact, and/or said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor output can initiate the waking up of electronics from a low current sleep mode.
 8. The ball of claim 1 further comprising electronics that are able to control the lighting of said at least one LED light in at least one lighting sequence.
 9. The ball of claim 6 whereby the activation of said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor can initiate, activate, deactivate, control, operate, and/or run at least one lighting sequence.
 10. The ball of claim 8 whereby the lighting of the at least one lighting sequence can be at least one of repetitive or random.
 11. The ball of claim 8 whereby the lighting of the at least one lighting sequence can be determined by time between ball bounces, can incorporate a constant time interval, and/or can incorporate variable time intervals.
 12. The ball of claim 11 whereby said variable time intervals can be determined by the time intervals between bounces of the ball.
 13. The ball of claim 10 whereby said lighting, circuitry and/or electronics can incorporate a dimming function as part of said at least one lighting sequence.
 14. The ball of claim 1 whereby said at least one switch and/or at least one sensor can sense sound, vibration, acoustic energy and/or audio from the environment and convert such sound, vibration, acoustic energy and/or audio into a signal.
 15. The ball of claim 14 whereby said signal can be resolved into frequency, amplitude and/or a combination thereof.
 16. The ball of claim 15 whereby said frequency, amplitude and/or a combination thereof can control or affect the pattern and/or intensity of the LED lighting.
 17. The ball of claim 3 whereby said at least one connector is a connector and/or jack for connecting the ball to an audio, power and/or other source.
 18. The ball of claim 1 further comprising a conductive connector or jack for connecting the ball to a mobile device, smart device, computer and/or other device or signal source.
 19. The ball of claim 18 further comprising at least one of custom color and/or pattern identification for calls, e-mails, texts, and/or other origin-specific electronic communications, and/or at least one communication device that can transmit and/or receive data and/or signals in a master-slave fashion via radio frequency, infrared, and/or other communication methods.
 20. The ball of claim 1 further comprising a battery compartment and a battery compartment door that does not interfere with the bouncing function of the ball. 